We decided to have our basement renovation done by Penguin for three reasons:
1. Turnkey project - from design to permitting to completion.
2. Compressed timeline. Start to finish in ~ 3 weeks.
3. Competitive pricing.
The design stage was collaborative and well executed.
We visited the showroom and picked out finishes with Stephanie. She offered some good suggestions for us to consider in making our choices.
Construction started at the end of November 2022 and finished in December prior to Christmas. Around 3 1/2 weeks from start to finish. Penguin has a very structured approach to the build process and it is effective. We have done renovations with other companies in the past and the schedule constantly elongated. Penguin did what they said they would do.
Penguin uses a portal, Builder Trend, to have a central information source for the project. Everything from schedule to changes to billing is on the platform and is easily accessible.
The construction crews were great. The workmanship was excellent and we are very happy with the end result. Special callout to Jon the finishing supervisor. He did a good job with the final project elements and is a great communicator.
As an opportunity for improvement Penguin could do a better job in communicating schedule changes. We had a couple of instances where crews did not show up the day they were scheduled. An email or a phone call the day before would be appropriate in terms of managing customer expectations.
We had a project closing meeting with Penguin that covered warranty information and customer feedback. Guy, the CEO, attended and was genuinely interested in our experience and comments.
All in all we are very happy with our renovation and would recommend Penguin to anyone.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $50,000.00
- Company Response
Hi Mark. Thanks for the thorough and comprehensive review. We are happy it was a positive experience for you. As an aside, and to anyone reading this review and response, we are not a "3-week" basement company. In fact we often finish in less time, but we've also had a build go for months. Rather than promise a 3-week build, we treat each project as individually as it is and present a timeline along with the estimate in many cases. Have a great summer Mark and enjoy the basement.